The Cecil Whig., 1887-11-05

\ Prominent Citiz"n-S long and
Useful l. ic.
His FANNY and Earlier Nears-A Leader III
Religious, Moral and Political Movements
for over iIalfn Cantury-UIs Funeral Ser
wees.


Religious, Moral and Political Movements
for over IaIfn Ganrury-uIs Funeral Ser
| wees.
| Francis A. Ellis died on Wednesday
morning last at quarter nt tour o'clock.
Ne had been III failing health for some
IN unthS but VAS able To- at5eud to bus'-
ness MP 10 the afternoon of Monday, Oc-
tober 2i;h, when he became unconscious
i'll has ;.iice from an attack of valvuiar dis
ease of the heart. lie recovered some
what. and was removed to his residence,
where he became partially paralyZed,
| and for several days preceding his death
was unable to talk or take nourishment.
Mr.. Ellis was one of the best known
aud most highly respected citizens of
Cecil county, having lived long and
useiul liie III our town. He was in the
Slst year of his aye, having been born in
Pnladelpnia December %. 1S06. He was
the son OF Rowland Ellis, whose wife was
| Miss Elizabeth RuGulph, the daughter OF
| IupIaS RudU pin. the irst, by his second
| Synge, The Patriot Sllvorsmth of
the Revolution,' friend and intimate
"t Benjamin Franklin. His father came
of a family of Quakers. Ills mother was
hall sister of Major Jack Rudulph who
served vaiIautly III Lees legion during
the revolutionary war, and won by his
bravery tue name of "Fightiu@ Jack"
| She was also first cousin of Michael
| Rudulph. who was also celebrated for bis
bravery in the revolutionary war, and
bore the rank of captain. He it was that
tradition hath, aud many believe, went
to France np)n mysterious disappearing
from the country and became the cele
bra.ed Marsha! Ney, who bore such q
prominent part in the campaigns of Ma
poeon.
Nj. EiS's r .rly years We're spent i'll at
tending school, his parents having remoy
/ eG t. Turner Greek, III X hnF county Md,
when he was t ears old. He received a
| good academic education at he Quaker
school of GrrsswicllS, Burlington county,
|
carrier in PhiL,d, lphia, and afterwards
| learned the tanning busIpeSS under the
| late Peter A,kew of Brick Meeting
! House. He came to Elktou, where his
tataer resided, about 1880 and read law
under the late John G. Groome. He was
admitted to Tho bar April 81, 1888. and
practiced law i'll this place. de appeared
as counsel tbr the plaintlti in the ccs
brated case of StackhuuSG vs. Mackey,
which grew ont of the disappearance oi
| Matte Polk, 4 misery and eccentric old
woman, who lived b. herself in ! lonely
house o. Big Elk creek near Mason and
! Dixon's line. She disappeared mysteri-
ous!y l.. 1856 ana has never been heard
of since in the county.
| Mr.. Ellis iu early l;fa was leading
member of the Wing party in tins county,
ani was tor a tim" aGi or If She Elkton
| Courier, a paper devoted to the interests
of that party, and one of the first pub
| lishea in this Co lnty. lie was a candi-
date for the House of Delegates in 1914,
/ and { candidate for Il e State constitu-
! tional convention in 1850. He was de-
| !eateu both times. H Aeld the position
; of clerk to the county C mmisSioners IN
/ 1910 and lS4l. iiD W - one OF the pio-
beer adyoc ties of the public school sys-
tem, and did much to educ .te public
! ~ nti,nat.5 il III" county on this matter.
! He was Instrumental in having the first
| law uthorjz;ug the adoption of a public
( school ystem III she c"u.ty submitted
| to nr peopl,. Th" system VA voted on
"A 1871 aud defeated After system
;i',i "een adopted III 1888, he was elected
; Srhoc ca nniS,:vnel ;.ri tnpk an active
/ l. .rt N SecUIins the auGCess Dt the schools
! au.u a,r county system was succeeded
! oy chat ri the St,te
! NJ Ellis took an active part i'll institu-
ting The Mutual Fire Insurance Company
OF Cecil county. THIS company was in
! corporated january 80 H. 1916, and Mr..
/ Ellis WAS elected the first secretary and
! treasurer. He continued to hold those
! Positions until tile tune ni his death, and
| it was at the compAny's office while en-
gagged i'll their business that he was taken
iii. He notified the directors Of the com
pany at their last meeting that he would
tender his resignation 1T their neNt meet
! ing to be held this month";
Nj Ellis Wa tine leading laymau of
the Wilmington conference ot the Merho-
{ 1
time member OF tne Protestant Episco-
! pal Church OF this town. II 1919 under
! the pastorafe of Rev. Wm. IL. Elliott. he
| became d member If the Methodist Epl- :
| c1ptl Cnlrch, and has been active IL its
| interest as well as ia everything pnrtt'n--
! ii.g t" rei.irr ard mo.aiitN IL TINS com
muui'y. II has been a class leader in
/ the church tor Il long number of years
aud regularly mot his members by whom
aS b.. tie membership of the church gen
orally he VS. greatly beloved aud re
spectcd. AhouJ 30 years ago under Rev.
! l. G. Mat.rck 5 y storate lie WAS l.
censed AS d lccal preacher, and filled the
pulpit at home and elsewhere when
called upon until OF late years. For \
long number of years he had attended
the annual sessions of the Wilmington
Conferences H, was regarded with great
respect, and loved by many of the clergy
! men, not u few of whom highly valued
his advice aud assistance. lie was looked
up 10 by many of the young men as much
as it he had be,na bishop. The minutes
of the last conference show that at the
time Oi his death he was president Of the
Couielcuc" Eslucaliou Society, president
of the Conference Missionary Society and
treasurer Of the Conference Board of
Church Extension.
He was charter member Of Cecil
Lodge I O O. F., oi Elkt"n which was
instituted about 1850 He was tor many
years a member of the grand lodge of
Maryl and was twice selected TO rep
resent it in the grand lodge of the United
States lie Visited California once 70
attoud session Of the lodge. He was
prominent in bringing about the orgaui-
zatinn of military company, the Cecil
Grays. III EiktOn about torty-fve years
ago, and served as captain of the com
pany. He was an examiner in chancery
until the time ii HIS death, aud was com
missioner OF deeds for pennsy lvania.
Nj Ellis was twice married. His first